Metabolic syndrome or metabolic disease is a term that defines a cluster of metabolic risk factors that come together in a single individual and lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The main features of metabolic syndrome include insulin resistance, hypertension (high blood pressure), cholesterol abnormalities, and an increased risk for clotting. Insulin resistance refers to the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in promoting the transport of the sugar glucose, from blood into muscles and other tissues. Patients with this cluster of risk factors are most often overweight or obese.